Water-wheel



UNITED Srafrns ATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK LE BEAU, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

WATER-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 401,751, dated April 23, 1889.

Application filed July 13, 1888. $e1'ial No. 279,819. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Ln BEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vater-lVheels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to submerged waterwheels for large or small streams of running water, and where turbines, overshot, and other wheels commonly employed cannot be used 011 account of backwater, the object being to get the power of a stream (more or less) for moving the wheel or wheels, and which will run at the same rate of speed as the stream; and the invention as con structed and applied will be understood by reference to the following specification and claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents my wheel in position, the current working against the valves on the right-hand side and which are closed by the current against them, which thus carries the wheel around, the valves on the left-hand side opening and floating on the stream until they are again closed, and so on continually. Fig. 2 represents a similar wheel with its valves reversed in position on the frames from those shown in Fig. 1, being merely hung on the opposite side of said frames, so that if two or more wheels are placed in line, as indicated in the drawings, they would each receive the full force of the water, one moving around by the right and the other by the left hand, as indicated by arrows in connection with. the gear-wheels shown at top of shaft.

A represents the water-wheels, constructed substantially as follows: C is a vertical shaft,

valves (6 a a, hung or hinged to the arm 0 above it, as at Z) Z) 1), making them into flap-valves, which close against the arm c immediately below it by being made to overlap said arm,so that when the current strikes the valves it forces the wheel to revolve longitudinally, the valves gradually rising and floating as the impact of the water decreases, they all automatically closing and opening by the action of the stream revolving the wheel, the open. valves or valveopenings allowing the water to run through freely without resistance on that side.

I claim-- In a water-wheel, A, the vertical shaft C, its upper end working through a suitable bearing and having a gear-wheel thereon, its lower end working in a bearing in the base-piece B, the frames 0 c c, radiating from the said shaft, divided by a vertical strip and longitudinal strips into a series of valve-openings covered by flap-valves a a a, attached to the top of valve-openings at b, the flaps on one side of the shaft opening on one side of the frame, and the flaps 011 the other side of shaft opening on opposite side of frame, the outer end of the frames being secured to circular rings or hoops d d, substantially as described.

I11 testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK LE BEAU. Witnesses J. R. DRAKE, IIENRY HEITMUELLER. 

